Pass It On
Psalm 78:1-7[1]
5-2-04
This morning I am going to begin with a video clip from the movie “Pay it Forward”[2]. Pay it Forward is about a 7th Grader’s plan to make a difference in the world. On the first day of school, his social studies teacher challenges the class with this assignment: “Think of an idea to change our world—and put it into action.” Trevon’s idea is called “Pay it Forward”. He immediately puts it into action by helping a homeless drug addict. As the scene opens the homeless man is trying to explain to Trevon’s mother what is going on. Pay special attention to Trevon’s explanation of his plan to the class.
Play Video clip Ch 9 (0:31:26) to Ch 10 (0:34:28)
I find in Trevon’s plan some principles from the word of God that we want to always remember and put into action in our lives. On the night before his crucifixion Jesus said to his disciples, “As I have loved you so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) He was about to commit the greatest act of kindness ever done. This sinless, precious Son of God was about to lay down his life on the cross for our salvation. And as he said to those disciples he says to you and me, “Pay it forward. As I have loved you now you go and love others.” In Matthew 25 Jesus told the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. In that parable our great King said in verse 40 "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
Two thousand years ago by one righteous act Jesus set something in motion that continues to multiply today. It is multiplied through the millions of believers who respond to his love toward them by investing kindness into other people’s lives.
Have you ever seen one of these domino effect contests where they set up thousands of dominos spaced just right so that when one falls it starts a chain reaction that goes from domino to domino? That is a good visual depiction of the impact of our choices. I am convinced that when we get to heaven we are going to be amazed at the impact our lives had. All we see is the immediate impact. We just see a few dominos out. But in reality everything you do is to some degree affecting other people. That is both good new and bad news. The bad news is that wickedness is far more consequential that people usually imagine. The good news is every right decision you make is impacting other people and other things, which are in turn having their influence. Why does God wait until the end of the age before the Judgment Seat of Christ? We really don’t have a biblical answer to that question but logically the full effect of your life will go on for generation after generation. And the total effect has certainly not yet happened the day you die. Your life represents an awesome opportunity to invest in other people and watch the impact multiply.[3]
This morning I want us to think about this principle in relationship to the training of our children. What an opportunity in God our children are! You could walk down the hall of our education wing this morning and watch their eyes light up as they hear the message of Jesus Christ. They are little sponges receiving truth and direction for their lives.
Recently Jeanie and I have been working on a project to install a mantle above our fireplace. It is going to be beautiful when we finish it, if we ever finish it. The problem is that we started with a piece of wood that had already been molded into something else. It had been a piece of furniture and we are trying to make it into a fireplace mantle. Here is the voice of experience. It is much easier to build something from scratch than try to take something already firmly shaped and make it into something else. That’s why contractors throw perfectly good material away. It takes too much time to reshape things and try to make them work after the fact.
Jeanie is a seamstress and she would much rather make a drape from scratch using new material than to take an old drape and tear out the old seams and try to make a different drape from the old material. It’s a lot easier to shape a child than to reshape an adult. I’m not saying it can’t be done. I’m just saying it’s a whole lot easier. Did you know that we spend roughly 68 times more money caring for the average felon than on a church’s ministry to a spiritually hungry child[4]? Which investment gives the greatest return? The spiritual development of our kids is a good investment. Amen? The greatest heroes of this church are those who serve our kids. For years Jeff & Lisa Loyd have invested in our kids. What a joy it is on Wednesday evenings to see Brent Pennell training those boys in Royal Rangers. There are so many of you who advance the kingdom of God by ministering to our children. Imagine the possibilities God has given us in these kids. What if we so nurtured and trained scores of kids/hundreds of kids that they reach adulthood full of the Holy Spirit and passionate about His will for their lives? Who knows how God might use them for His glory?
In Psalm 78 we have a powerful mandate for children’s ministry.
Asaph begins by alerting us to the importance of what he is about to say. verses 1 & 2 “ O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old—“
The message that is coming to us in Psalm 78 is something we had best pay attention to. Ancient wisdom is about to be shared and only the open ear will hear it. Only the open heart will understand it. It will seem too simple to the fool. He will miss its import. But hidden in the words of this Psalm are keys to life and blessing.
1st The CALL of this Psalm. It is a call to Pay it Forward—to pass on to emerging generations the knowledge of the Lord. Verses 3 & 4 “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation.”
That’s what a lady named Lois did in her lifetime. She passed on her faith to her daughter, Eunice. Then Eunice passed it on to her son, little Timmy. And one day Timmy grew up to be a great man of faith in the early church. Paul wrote to him in 2Timothy 1:5&6 with this instruction, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
We don’t know who invested in Lois a heritage of faith. But we do know that she passed it on to the next generation who then passed it on to the next. Paul also lays his hands on this young man and passes on to him something he has received. Timothy was the product of a rich family heritage. But he was also the product of a rich community of believers.
The primary responsibility and authority for training a child clearly rests with the parents[5]. It is an awesome task but it is also an awesome opportunity. Parents, there are times you have to remind yourself that this is an awesome opportunity. It’s real easy to remember it is an awesome task. Reminders of that come every day. But the Lord wants you to also remember what a precious gift they are from Him as well.
But the responsibility is not the parent’s alone. Parenting is to be done in the context of a community of believers. As a spiritual community we want to be a support to the parents in their training and nurturing of their kids. We want single parents to find a place here where their kids can see wholesome, caring role models. Like Paul we want to invest into their lives as well. Paul laid his hands on Timothy and by the unction of the Holy Spirit imparted something of what he had received from the Lord. And we know that Timothy was passing it on to many other people.
Later on in this epistle Paul will say to Timothy (2 Tim 3:14 & 15) “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
There is powerful insight as to how the faith of Eunice was passed on to her son, Timothy. “And how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures.”
That leads us to
2. The CONTENT of our instruction to the next generation.
It is “what our fathers have told us” (verse 3). We don’t need to come up with some new spiritual reality to get our kids through these perilous times. The same God who brought Noah through the flood and Israel through the Red Sea and Daniel through the lion’s den can bring our kids through whatever they may face. The Old Time Religion really is good enough for me and you and our kids. I don’t mean old methods and old ways of communicating. But the substance, the reality, the basics will never change and we must never try to change them. People still need to know their Bibles. People still need to know how to pray and worship. People still need to know how to love their enemies and forgive others. The essentials of what our fathers and our mothers told us have not changed and must be passed on.
Four scholars were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text. A third man preferred Moffatt because of its quaint, penetrating use of words, the turn of a phrase that captures the attention of the reader. After giving the issue further thought, the fourth scholar admitted, ’I have personally preferred my mother’s translation.’ When the other scholars chuckled, he responded, ’Yes, she translated it. She translated each page of the Bible into life. It is the most convincing translation I ever say.[6]
Our kids need the word of God. But they need it lived out before them. They need it applied to daily events. They need to learn its principles. But they need to also learn how to apply its principles[7].
A new book by George Barna entitled “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions” is having quite an impact amongst ministers. I was at a Children’s Ministry conference this last week and it was mentioned so often I decided to buy a copy and began reading it. One significant piece of information that he refers to is the conclusion of various studies that by the age of nine, most of the moral and spiritual foundations of a child are in place.[8] We’ve got to establish these kids in truth a younger age than we may have previously thought.
According to Psalm 78 what is it that we need to communicate to our kids?
1st the Goodness of the Lord. Tell of His mighty deeds. Look closely at Psalms 78:4-5. “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD his power, and the wonders he has done.”
I think it is significant that verse 4 comes before verse 5. Verse 5 talks about the commandments of the Lord. Our kids need to know that. But foundational to that is the goodness of the Lord. Our kids need to hear the Bible stories that talk about God’s faithfulness to His people. But they also need to hear our stories about how God has been faithful to us. I think it is a wonderful thing if we can tell our kids stories about His faithfulness to our parents and their parents. I think kids need to learn American history with an understanding of God’s faithfulness to the forefathers of this country. Why do you think the ungodly oppose that so much? The spirit driving them knows the significance of kids whose worldview is shaped by a reality filled with God.
Here’s something else our kids need. They need to walk through life experiences with us and experience the faithfulness of God themselves. Mattie and Jake Bean have a great opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness as their family moves into new territory. They need to be able to look back one day and say, “God was faithful to give me new friends. God answered our prayers for the right house.” Life is the greatest teaching opportunity there is. What must our kids know? They must know about the goodness and the greatness and the faithfulness of the Lord our God.
2. They also need to know the will of God. Verse 5 “He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children” Life is to be lived in the boundaries of God’s commandments. Every child should know the Ten Commandments as a foundation for good decisions in life.
When the world robs kids of biblical absolutes it robs them of their security and direction in life. Some principles are absolute because they come from an absolute God--One Who never changes Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I find in Psalms 78:4-5 good guidance for the content of our teaching here at Grace Chapel. We do not just entertain kids. We don’t baby sit so parents can have church. Our Children’s Church is church with an awesome purpose. What is that purpose? That as a community of believers we can train these kids in the two things we have just talked about:
First that they would hear about the great and mighty deeds of our God, the miracles He works, the deliverance and protection He gives, the praise He deserves. Second, the way of life He commands for our highest well being.
I found a list of things parents need from their local church that I thought was pretty good.
Parents need motivation to persevere year in and year out.
Parents need encouragement when everything seems to go wrong.
Parents need relief from time to time from the strain of parenting.
Parents need help in boiling down the Book of God into essential,
transferable, age-appropriate portions.
Parents need community reinforcement of truth and moral standards.
Parents need solutions to tough problems raised by children.
Parents need camaraderie for the sharing of accumulated wisdom.
Parents need correction when others can see that something is wrong and
they can’t.
Parents need prayer because in the end God is the great Teacher.[9]
The positive
3. CONSEQUENCE of us following Asaph’s instruction is found in Verse 7.
1. Then they would put their trust in God. KJV says put their hope in God.
The most hopeful, joyous people on earth are those who have discovered the goodness and faithfulness of God. There is no greater heritage we can give our kids than a solid faith in God. Money will easily fail them. There are some problems no amount of money can solve. The economy may fail them. Their friends may even fail them. But God will not fail them. And if they know what He has done in the past. If they know how powerful He is and how willing He is to intervene in their lives, then they can live with an abiding peace and joy confident in God’s goodness. They can take their problems to God in prayer and get some help.
It all begins with a revelation of God and a willingness of each generation to share that revelation with the next.
When they know God and understand His commandments in the context of His loving kindness then they will
2. Obey His commandments—live godly lives that lead to the blessing of the Lord. We are seeking to train our kids in the value of obeying the will of God. We want them to know God. We want them to experience His love and kindness. We want them to know right from wrong and understand why God has set boundaries on their behavior.
I have talked a lot to parents this morning. But Asaph’s message is not just to parents. It is also to the community of believers as a whole. As a fellowship of believers we will PASS IT ON to this next generation—pass on that which we have received. As early as two years old children begin to absorb values.[10] We want to actively communicate those biblical values while they are still in the nursery. Even for an infant, the Spirit of the Lord is here to brood over that child and prepare him or her for a life honoring to God.
Our children’s ministry is not about babysitting. It is about equipping. By the time those kids go into the youth group we want them established in the word of God. We want them to know God’s commandments and we want them to know God’s power. We can all have a part in that. In the youth group we will train them to be spiritual champions for God. We will help them discover their gifting and enter into their ministries. Instead of running along behind the devil trying to fix the mess he’s made we will beat him to the punch by the grace of God and equip these kinds from the earliest possible age. Will you be a part of that? Will you catch a fresh vision of what God wants to do in our kids? I went to this conference last week because I wanted to stir up the vision in me for kids. God’s about to do something awesome in our kids!
Pray: Lord we hear you. We hear the message of Psalm 78. We say yes to the call—the call to Pass On to these little ones something of what we have received from others. Touch each of our hearts for what you want to do in this arena in the days ahead.
Invitation to say, “Lord I am available to do anything you want me to do in behalf of these little ones.”
TEXT Ps 78:1-7
78:1A maskil of Asaph.
O my people, hear my teaching;listen to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-- 3what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, 6so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. NIV
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Text read at the beginning of the service is provided at the end of the manuscript. All quotes are from New International Version unless otherwise specified.
[2] Pay It Forward directed by Mimi Leder and produced by Warner Brothers, 2000)
[3] geometric progression/exponential growth
[4] George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2003) p. 41
[5] Deut. 6:1-9
[6] Brian Spence, sermon entitled “The Influence of a Godly Mother” accessed 4-30-04 at www.sermoncentral.com
[7] The language of Deut. 6:6-9 indicates this practical, daily application of biblical principles.
[8] Barna p. 58
[9] John Piper, “Raising Children Who Are Confident In God” preached 2-25-96 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Accessed 4-30-04 at http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/96/index.html
[10] Barna p. 100
